Stake pocket for truck bodies



Jan. 17, 1956 N. E. COLE STAKE POCKET FOR TRUCK BODIES Filed April 15, 1953 INVENTOR /lo/v f.' Cou' BY C I I ATTI United States Patent O STAKE POCKET FoR TRUCK nomas Nelson E. Cole, Reading, Pa., assigner to Dana Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Virginia Application April 15, 1953, Serial No. 349,038

2 Claims. (Cl. 296-43) This invention relates to stake racks and platforms which are used with truck bodies and the like. lt is particularly directed to the stake pockets which serve as major elements at the junction of the platform and racks.

An object of this invention is to provide a one-piece stake pocket so formed and secured to the stake rail that a resilient diaphragming back segment is provided which is shock absorbing in character.

Another object of this invention is to provide a stake pocket with the above feature that is simple to blank and form.

A further object of this invention is to provide a stake pocket easy to locate and weld in its position in the stake rail with a minimum of welding time and welding heat stresses.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a stake pocket opening that can be sized to receive a stake with either a tight or loose t.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a combination stake pocket for receiving the stakes of a removable rack or which may readily be adapted for securely and rigidly clamping these racks to function as a solid rack or open side truck body by simply passing a bolt through the pocket, stake and stake rail.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from a study of the following description when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view of a stake rail incorporating the stake pocket of this invention and illustrating a form of stake in position to be inserted in the pocket;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on a line 2-2 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a plan view of the blank from which the pocket shown in Figure 1 is formed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a portion of a stake rail which incorporates the present invention, the stake pocket 5 being formed of a single sheet metal blank 6 of the shape shown in Figure 3. The pocket 5 is shaped by bending the blank along the dotted lines shown in Figure 3, to provide a back wall 7, front wall 8 and bottom web 9. The back 7 and front 8 are substantially parallel and are arranged at right angles to the bottom 9. Side portions or flanges 10 are bent inwardly at right angles to the back '7, while side portions or flanges 11 are bent inwardly at obtuse angles to the front 8, the edges of each pair of side portions 10 and 11 meeting along a generally vertical line, when the pocket is viewed in an upright position, providing a pair of sectional side walls. Holes 12 and 12 are preferably pierced in blank 6 during the blanking operation.

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The configuration of blank 6 is such that when it is bent into pocket form, a generally triangular opening is provided by the edges 13 of the bottom 8, and 14 of each side of the pocket 5. By this arrangement, the back 7 is capable ot' diaphragming or is provided with some resiliency which relays reaction stresses from the stake under load to the bottom web 9 of the pocket and in turn to the lower flange of the stake rail. Thus, a lighter stake may be used in the present pocket with less breakage than would otherwise occur.

The stake pocket 5 is set in an opening 19 which may be provided at any desired place in the top flange 20 of stake rail 16. It will be clear that any number of openings 19 may be provided at spaced intervals along the rail. As more clearly shown in Figure 2, the bottom 9 of pocket 5 is welded at 22 to the flange 21, the front 8 of the pocket contacts the web portion of the stake rail 16, and the back 7 and side portions 10 and 11 are welded at 23 to the lower surface of ange 20 adjacent the opening 19. Should greater pocket resiliency be desired, all welding at the upper portion of the pocket to flange 20 may be eliminated.

By bending side portions lil and 11 in or out, the pocket may be sized to receive a stake with the desired amount of looseness or tightness. After sizing, the side portions 1t) and 11 may be tack welded as at 25 only. This is accomplished prior to assembly of the pockets with the stake rail.

One type of stake suitable for use in the present stake pocket is shown in Figure l, and comprises a stake portion 17 and a tie portion 18 provided with apertures 24 for receiving a bolt should it be desired to clamp the stake into a rigid position suitable for a solid rack or high open side truck body. In this instance, an opening 26 will also be provided in the web of the stake rail 16, so that the bolt may be passed through stake rail, pocket walls and stake. When a removable rack is utilized, it will be clear that the holes 12, 24 and 26 are not necessary.

What I claim is:

l. In combination with a vehicle body stake rail of channel form having an apertured top flange and a bottom flange for receiving and supporting an open ended stake pocket, of a one-piece stake pocket having a rigid narrow front wall, a resilient comparatively wide back wall and a connecting bottom web, a pair of wide side flanges on the front wall, a pair of narrow side flanges on the back wall, the side flanges extending toward each other and being cut away adjacent the bottom web to permit said back wall to llex, and a weld between said bottom web and the bottom flange of said stake rail,

2. A one-piece stake pocket having a narrow front wall, a comparatively wide back wall and a connecting bottom web, a pair of wide side anges on the front wall, a pair of narrow side flanges on said back wall, said flanges projecting toward each other to form side walls having vertical slots therein, said side walls being cut away adjacent to the bottom web, said back wall being comparatively flexible to permit the same to diaphragm.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,481,721 Martin Ian. 22, 1924 2,228,535 Renno Jan. 14, 1941 2,447,471 Wagner Aug. 17, 1948 

